Machines



(No Model.)

J. H. BROWER & H. 0. R088. AUTOMATIC ENVELOPE FEEDER FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. No." 47 ,727.

Patented June 7, 1892.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

JOHN H. BROVVER AND HERBERT C. ROSS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORS OF ONF-THIRD TO FRANKLIN L. STILES, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC ENVELOPE-FEEDER FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,727, dated June 7, 1892.. Application filed March 28, 1891. Renewed May 6, 1892. Serial No. 432,008. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern- The invention is illustrated in the accom- Be it known that we, JOHN H. BROWER panying drawings, wherein, like letters refer and HERBERT 0. Ross, citizens of the United ring to like parts throughout- States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county Figure 1 is an end elevation of a type-writ- 5 of IIennepin and State of Minnesota, have ining machine known as the Caligraph with vented certain new and useful Improvements our invention in working position. Fig. 2 is in Automatic Envelope-Feeder for T pe-Vrita front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-secing Machines; and we do hereby declare the tion through the envelope-magazine and its following to be a full, clear, and exact descripfeed devices from front to rear, and Fig. 4 is a 10 tion of the invention, such as will enable othdetail showing the envelope-guide detached. ers skilled in the art to which it appertains A represents a part of the body of the type to make and use the same. writer, and B the feed-carriage of the same. Our invention relates to type-writers, and O is the envelope-magazine (shown as of a has for its object to provide an automatic cnbox-like form) open at its front end and hav- 1 velope-feeder for the same. To this end we ing an inclined bottoi The magazine is proemploy a magazine adapted to hold a series vided with dowel-posts D, rigidly secured to of envelopes, a follower within the magazine its under side. a for advancing the entire series of envelopes, E are the magazine-holders in the form of and an individual envelope-feeding device sockets, mounted on the back rail of the feed- 20 adapted to remove the envelopes one at a time carriage, so as to be adjustable at any angle, from the magazine and supply the same to the and provided with set-screws E for securing typewriter. The magazine, with its feeding the same on the rail in any desired position. devices, is mounted on the feed-carriage of The dowel-posts fit the sockets and are sethe type-writer, the delivery end of the magcured therein by thumb-screws E or in any 2 5 azine being in position to discharge the envelother suitable way.

ope in line with the rear surface of the im- F is the follower within the magazine G pression-roller, and the individual envelopehaving a slot f, in which works the adj ustfeed device being operated from the line-feed able gage G. The gage is secured in any podevice of the type-writer. The magazine is sition in the slot by a set-screw g. The fol- 8o 0 open at its outer end and the envelope-feed lower is propelled by a spring H, which, as roller is arranged transversely to the line of shown, is a flat strip of steel bent upon itself, movement of the follower and is spaced apart having its ends secured to the follower near from the lower margin or deliverydip of the the lower corners of the same and its bent magazine the thickness of a single envelope. portion or crown bearing against the back of 5 The follower is provided with an adjustable the magazine as a base of resistance. Any gage, so as to adapt the same to different sizes other suitable spring might be employed. It of envelopes. The magazine and its feed dcis important, however, to locate the spring so vices are supported by adjustable holders, so that it will have its action on the lower end that the same may be set at any angle to the of the follower, so as to incline the follower o 40 impression roller or adjusted to different slightly backward at its top, thus permitting heights to adapt the same to different sizes or the outermost of the series of envelopes to be arrangements of gearing. The magazinemore readily removed without disturbing the holders may be sockets for receiving dowelothers. posts secured to the bottom of the magazine K are brackets secured to the outer lower 5 5 and be provided with set-screws for securing corners of the magazine, which constitute the the parts in position. In order to insure the bearings for the feed-roller L and an idle-gear envelopes following the impression-roller to M. The feed-roller L is preferably made of the proper delivery-point, We provide an adsoft rubber and has a slightly-corrugated surjustable guide in the form of a concave which face. It should be so arranged with refcr- 50 we secure to the front rail of the feed-carence to the delivery-lip of the magazine that riage. the space between the two will be j nst the thickness of an envelope, and in order to make the feed reliable the feed-roller must be near the lower outer corner of the magazine, so that its action will be upon the lower margin of the envelope at the start. Otherwise the lower edges of the envelope will turn up around the roller and more than one be fed from the magazine at a time.

The feed-roller L is provided with a gearwheel Z, with which the pinion Mis in engagement. The idle-gear M is adapted to engage with the line-feed gear-wheel b on the impression-roller B of the type-writer feed-carriage. On the Caligraph no change is required to adapt the envelope-feed. On the Remington and similar machines a gear-wheel may be placed on the opposite end of theimpression-roller and the idle-gear for communieatin g the motion to the envelope-feed roller be also placed on the left side ofthe magazine for engagement therewith. Otherwise the constructions are alike in both cases.

N is the envelope-guide formed with clamping-jaws n at one end adapted to engage the front rail of the feodcarriage and secured thereon in any desirable position by the clamping-screw N.

P P, 850., represent a series of envelopesin position within the magazine in front of the follower, of which P is the outermost one of the series.

The operation is obvious. The envelopes are under tension from the spring behind the follower, by which they are pressed constantly at their lower margin against the envelopefeed roller. By operating the line-feed lover of the typewriter, as in the ordinary way for spacing between lines, motion is communicated through the gear M to the feed-roller, turning the same downward against the face of the outermost of the envelopes, thus feeding the same downward into position to be grasped by the impression-roller and operated upon in the ordinary way. When the first envelope has been addressed, the further movement of the line-feed lever will deliver the addressed envelope at the front of the machine over the top of the front rail and bring a second envelope from the magazine into position on the impression-roller to be addressed. The envelope-guide N keeps the envelope in its proper place on the impression-roller until the work is completed and directs the same to the proper delivery-point over the front guide-rail. The advantage and value of an automatic feed of this character is apparent. More than double the number of envelopes can be addressed on the machine in any given time, and the work will present a more uniform and better appearance.

The device was primarily designed and has been described as an automatic envelopefeed; but it will be understood that it might be used for addressing cards, or even small sheets of paper might be fed in this way to the machine for general writing.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination, with the line-feed devices of a type-Writer carriage, comprising the impression-roller, gear-wheel, and actuatinglever, of the envelope-magazine mounted on said carriage, the face-feed roller mounted on said magazine for supplying the envelopes one at a time to said impression-roller and provided with a gear-wheel, and the interme- I diate gearwhcel carried by said magazine and engaging the gear-wheels of said impression-roller and said face-feed roller for driving the latter from the former, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the type-writer feed-carriage and its line-feed,comprising the impression-roller, geauwheel, and actuatinglever, of the an gularly and vertically adj ustable holders E, mounted on the rear rail of the said carriage, the envelope-magazine O, mounted on said holders, provided with the bearing-brackets K, the follower F, located in' the said magazine, the spring H for moving said follower, the face-feed roller L, working against the outermost of the series of envelopes in opposition to the spring H and provided with a gear-wheel Z, and the intermediate gear-wheel M, mounted in the said brackets K and engaging the gears b and Z, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. BROWER. HERBERT O. ROSS. \Vitnesses:

JAs. F. WILLIAMsON, EMMA F. ELMORE. 

